Department for Transport

Clean Air Zones

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 21 November(HL2990), whether the Clean Air Zone Framework published in May instructs local authorities to take account of the greater passenger capacity afforded by buses when compared to cars, in order that buses are not unreasonably targeted when setting up Clean Air Zones.

baroness sugg: The Clean Air Zone Framework sets out a range of measures which local authorities can take to reduce pollution in their areas, including encouraging the use of buses and public transport. In general, vehicles such as lorries and buses, or high frequency users such as taxis and private hire vehicles, emit higher levels of pollution on a per vehicle basis. The framework therefore sets out an approach under which, where charging zones are being introduced, Local Authorities are required to address these vehicles first, ahead of cars.   The Framework is clear that local authorities should work with bus operators to reduce emissions from buses, for example through developing quality partnership schemes to support cleaner vehicles and the use of vehicles with higher vehicle emission standards. To support improvements in the bus fleet, the Government in 2016 allocated £100m to 2020/21 for new low emission buses and the retrofitting of existing buses.

Motorcycles: Licensing

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks associated with regulations which allow riders to operate mopeds without any training or experience.

baroness sugg: Only car drivers who passed a driving test before 1 February 2001 are permitted to ride a moped without first completing Compulsory Basic Training. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has not carried out a specific assessment of the risks associated with this regulation that allows such persons to operate mopeds without any training or experience. However, we believe that the number of people who take advantage of this provision is very small and the number will reduce slightly every year as older drivers in the cohort stop driving. These risks have been considered several times since compulsory basic training (CBT) for learner moped riders motorcyclists was introduced in 1990.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the decision to abolish paper tax discs for vehicles,following publication of data showing an increase in thenumber of untaxed vehicles.

baroness sugg: There are no plans to review the decision to abolish paper tax discs for vehicles, as more than 98% of motorists license their vehicles correctly.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many vehicles failed to pay vehicle excise duty in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what is the total cost to the Exchequer of this tax evasion.

baroness sugg: More than 98% of vehicles are properly licensed and this demonstrates that the vast majority of motorists comply with the law. The vehicle excise duty evasion statistics estimated that around 755,000 vehicles in stock in the UK were unlicensed at the point of the survey in June 2017. It is estimated that this may potentially result in a loss of vehicle excise duty revenue of £107 million, a proportion of which will be recovered. The maximum penalty for using an untaxed vehicle if a case comes to the Magistrates Court is the greater of £1,000 or five times the amount of tax chargeable; or the greater of £2,500 or five times the amount of tax chargeable if using an untaxed vehicle and also having declared a SORN. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s enforcement action led to £41 million being recovered in the last financial year.

Motor Vehicles: Technicians

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce a licensing and accreditation scheme for technicians working on electric and automated vehicles.

baroness sugg: The Government does not currently have any plans to introduce a licensing and accreditation scheme for technicians working on electric and automated vehicles. However, the Department recognises the need to develop servicing skills to support the UK’s transition to these vehicles. With regards to electric vehicles, the 2020 Vision for English Apprenticeships supports an industry-led approach to skills training that allows employers to lead on new apprenticeship standards. The establishment of the employer-led Institute for Apprenticeships and the introduction of an employer levy fund provides an opportunity for these sectors to shape the development of training programmes to meet the skills needs they have identified. It is too early to develop a training, licensing, and accreditation scheme for automated vehicles. We will continue to liaise with the relevant technology and professional bodies; as automated vehicle technology matures, we will be able to consider if such a scheme would be suitable, and what, if any, Government intervention would be needed.

Electric Vehicles

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how vehicle battery technology will develop; and what is their estimate of the number of (1) electric vehicles there will be, and (2) charging points that will be required, in the next (a) five, (b) 10, and (c) 15, years.

baroness sugg: The Government recognises the important future role batteries will have as a primary energy source for vehicles. The recently announced Faraday Challenge is a £246m commitment to battery development in the UK to make the most of the automotive electrification market opportunity. We expect most motorists to continue to charge at home, but we have put in place support schemes for those unable to do so with schemes to fund domestic on-street, off-street and workplace chargepoints. As announced at Autumn Budget 2017, a new £400m electric car Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (£200m new Government investment to be matched by private investors) will accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure by providing access to finance to companies that deliver chargepoints. The Government is due to publish a strategy on Government support for the transition to zero emission vehicles by March 2018.

Home Office

Home Office: Disclosure of Information

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government with which (1) other departments, (2) Government agencies, (3) other public bodies, (4) voluntary sector bodies, and (5) private sector bodies, the Home Office has data sharing arrangements in connection with (a) the identification of individuals (b) theirrights to receive public services, (c) their rights to reside in the UK, and (d) other matters.

baroness williams of trafford: In line with the ICO Code of Practice on data sharing the Home Office maintains a number of agreements which oversee the exchange of key information necessary to support the effective delivery of departmental and government functions, including the prevention and detection of crime, immigration control and public safety. This includes agreements with government and non-government partners both in the UK and overseas. All such sharing is in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and other relevant legislation such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Immigration Act 2014 or the Criminal Justice and Data Protection Regulations 2014. The Home Office keeps such data sharing agreements under review but does not currently maintain a central register of all such agreements.

Football Banning Orders

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the distribution of football banning orders for football fans for each club in each year from 2010–11 to the last year for which records are held.

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many football-related arrests there were in each year from 2010–11 to the last year for which records are available, for (1) each competition, and (2) each club.

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government for what type of offences football-related arrests were made in each year from 2010–11to the last year for which records are available.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes information on football-related arrests and banning orders in the ‘Football-related arrests and banning order statistics, England and Wales, 2016 to 2017 season’ publication and is available from the Home Office webpage on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/football-related-arrests-and-banning-orders-england-and-wales-season-2016-to-2017. Providing the complete information requested would exceed the word limit for response to a Parliamentary Question.

Domestic Violence: Children

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 20 November (HL2794), what steps they intend to take to encourage other police forces in England and Wales to participate in Operation Encompass.

baroness williams of trafford: The government recognises the significant harm that domestic abuse can cause to children. That is why our new programme of work on domestic abuse will look at how to better support all those affected by domestic abuse with a specific focus on children.The National Oversight Group on domestic abuse, chaired by the Home Secretary, shares learning from innovative practice designed to tackle domestic abuse such as Operation Encompass. Both the National Police Lead for domestic abuse and the College of Policing sit on this group and are responsible for disseminating good practice to forces.

Police: Ministers of Religion

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government which police forces in England and Wales employ police chaplains; and of those, which employ chaplains on a full-time basis.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not collect data on the number of police forces who employ police chaplains.The Home Office does collect data annually on the function of police staff, including the number of full time equivalent staff employed in support functions. Within the support functions category is those in ‘Human Resources’ roles, which includes chaplaincy. However, this group also includes staff in other related roles, therefore it is not possible to separately identify chaplains.This information can be found in the data tables published alongside the annual ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales

Police and Crime Commissioners

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 22 November (HL2814), whether any Police and Crime Commissioner in England and Wales has commissioned a review into an investigation undertaken by their force.

baroness williams of trafford: As set out in the Policing Protocol Order 2011, it is for police forces, in line with the strategic direction and objectives set by the democratically elected Police and Crime Commissioner through their police and crime plan, to determine how best to use their investigative resources. How forces conduct an investigation is a matter for the relevant Chief Officer, and it is for the Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure that these duties are fulfilled in an effective and proportionate manner on behalf of the public they serve.The Government is not aware that any Police and Crime Commissioner has commissioned a review into an investigation undertaken by their force.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering introducing minimum unit pricing of alcoholin England.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has noted the recent ruling of the UK Supreme Court in favour of the Scottish Government in the legal case brought by the Scotch Whisky Association on Minimum Unit Pricing. Minimum Unit Pricing will continue to remain under review pending the impact of its implementation in Scotland.The Government continues to consider a range of measures available to control excessive alcohol consumption, including through the creation of a new still cider and perry band to tackle white ciders, as announced by the Chancellor in his Budget.

Refugees: Children

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children under the age of 18 have been resettled under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme to date, broken down by (1) region, and (2) local authority.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of those children resettled under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme to date are currently accessing education.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time from arrival in the UK to starting full-time education for children resettled under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: Latest statistics published on 30 November 2017 confirmed that a total of 412 vulnerable people have been resettled under the Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) across various local authorities. Around half of those resettled under the VCRS were children. The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number of children resettled through this scheme who are currently accessing education or the average waiting time for children to start full-time education. We continue to work with local authorities to make sure that every child has a school place.

Domestic Violence: Males

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the publication by the Office for National Statistics of the Statistical bulletin:Domestic abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2017 on 23 November, which states that more than one third of the victims of domestic violence in that period were men, they will clarify the statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 27 November (HL Deb, col 486) that “the breakdown of victims of domestic violence is thought to be about 96% women and 4% men”.

baroness williams of trafford: Data shows that women are much more likely than men to be the victims of high risk or severe domestic abuse and this is clearly demonstrated through a greater number of cases going to a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference and accessing an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor service, who deal with the most severe cases of domestic abuse. 95% of these victims are female.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Terrorism: Finance

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there is a relationship between the governments of Qatar and Iran and the funding and support for global Islamist terrorism.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The government has undertaken an internal review into the nature, scale and origin of the funding of Islamist extremist activity in the UK, including any overseas sources. On 12 July, the Home Secretary announced the main findings of the Home Office's review and I refer the noble Lord to Written Statement HCWS39Terrorism and violent extremism are an evil that steals lives, saps resources and divides communities. No society is immune and no single country has the answer to this scourge. In July, the Foreign Secretary welcomed the Emir of Qatar's commitment to tackle terrorism in all its manifestations, including terrorism financing.  We remain concerned about reports of Iran's financial and military support to militant and proscribed groups, such as Hizballah, Hamas and Palestinian rejectionist groups. This support directly undermines prospects for regional security and lasting peace in the region.​

Yemen: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that attacks which violate international humanitarian law are continuing in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by actors in the conflict and take these very seriously. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into incidents where it is alleged that IHL has been breached. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that lessons will be acted upon. The Saudis have their own internal procedures for investigations. The Saudi-led Coalition Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) has announced the findings of a total of 41 investigations and the most recent was released on 19 November 2017.

Australia: Asylum

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, whether through Commonwealth channels or otherwise, they have had regarding the achievement of humane improvements in the current treatment of refugees and asylum applicants seeking to enter Australia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Our High Commission to Canberra most recently discussed the issue with the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade in November 2017. We also raised this at the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of Australia in November 2015.​

PKK

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) they, and (2) the EU, intend to review their decisions to classify the Kurdistan People’s Party as a terrorist organisation, following the decision of the Belgian Court of Appeal on 14 September that that organisation is a party to an armed conflict.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK Government keeps its list of proscribed organisations under constant review. The EU reviews its CT Sanctions Regime every six months. The UK Government currently has no plans to remove the proscription of the Kurdistan People's Party (PKK).

Yemen: Military Intervention

lord lea of crondall: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement made byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 November (HL Deb, col 46), what actions they are taking within the UN to ensure that action is taken to allow the immediate provision of supplies to Yemen; what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia regarding ending their blockade of Yemen; whether a timescale has been established for such action to be taken; and whether, given the UK's alliance with Saudi Arabia, they have any plans to review licences for arms supplies to that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation and calls for all parties to immediately provide unhindered commercial and humanitarian access. The Prime Minister met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia during her visit to Riyadh on 29 November and was clear on the importance of a resolution to the conflict and humanitarian and commercial access to all of Yemen. The Foreign Secretary raised the urgency of the humanitarian situation with the Crown Prince on 23 November and has also spoken with the Secretary-General of the UN.On 22 November, the Saudi-led Coalition announced that they would allow humanitarian flights and shipments to resume. We welcome progress towards reopening the ports in Hodeidah, Salif and Sana'a airport. A small number of humanitarian and commercial vessels have been able to berth at these ports. To prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, more needs to be done and quickly. The UK will continue pressing at the very highest levels for complete and unhindered commercial and humanitarian access to all of Yemen.The UK Government takes its arms export licensing responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application.

Diplomatic Relations

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government with which countries in the world the UK does not have diplomatic relations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has diplomatic relations with all UN Member States, either maintained by representatives based in a country, or by staff appointed to cover a State from elsewhere. However, our dealings with the current Syrian State have been minimal and only in relation to essential consular or administration issues.

China: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the revisions to the regulations on religious affairs in China, and of their potential impact on freedom of religion or belief in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China and are concerned that new draft guidelines on religion in China may restrict lawful and peaceful observance of religion.We raised these matters directly with the Chinese authorities at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing on 27 June. We also issued an item IV statement at the 35th UN Human Rights Council in June reiterating our concerns.

Gao Zhisheng

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China about the disappearance and current situation of Chinese lawyer Gao Zhiseng, who went missing in August.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are deeply concerned about the case of Gao Zhisheng, particularly after his reported disappearance in August. We are continuing to work with international partners and others to seek further information about his whereabouts and his condition and to highlight our concerns about his case.We raised Mr Gao's case with the Chinese authorities in a list of 'cases of concern' ahead of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing in June 2017.FCO officials met Gao Zhisheng's daughter, Grace Gao, and representatives of a UK NGO on 16 October to discuss his case and obtain more information.

China: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China concerning restrictions on freedom of religion or belief for Tibetan Buddhists in China, including the detention of religious leaders and the demolition of places of worship.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We pay close attention to the human rights position including restrictions on religion or belief, and the wider political situation in Tibet.We set out our human rights concerns about China, and specifically the Tibet Autonomous Region, in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual report on Human Rights and Democracy, which was issued on 20 July 2017 (available on gov.uk).We raised these concerns about Tibet, a number of individual cases of concern, and our concerns about demolitions of the Larung Gar monasteries at the latest round of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue which took place in Beijing on 27 June 2017. We also made an item IV statement at the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva in June 2017 where we reiterated our concerns over restrictions on civil and political freedoms, particularly minority rights, and freedom of religion in China.

China: Religious Freedom

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they hold about the demolition of religious sites and buildings in China, including Tibetan Buddhist institutions and Christian churches in the past two years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by reports of the closure or demolition of churches and monasteries, and that individuals are being harassed or detained for their beliefs across China.We routinely obtain information and updates from a wide range of sources and use these to help build a credible picture of the extent of the situation.We consistently urge China to respect all rights across the People's Republic of China, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party.

Department for International Development

Kenya: Politics and Government

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide support to the new government of Kenya to develop its state institutions.

lord bates: The UK is committed to working in partnership with Kenya, to promote jobs, new industries, development, devolution, and regional security. We will discuss shared priorities with the new Kenyan Government, once its ministerial team is appointed. Strong and durable institutions are essential to Kenya’s long-term prosperity. We will continue to work with them and wider civil society.

Ross Fund

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the Ross Fund has been (1) allocated, and (2) disbursed.

lord bates: The Ross Fund is a portfolio of programmes, identified in the UK Aid Strategy, led by either DFID or Department of Health (DH), aimed at combatting the world's most serious diseases.DFID was allocated £547m and DH £461m from the Ross Fund Portfolio. To date DFID has (1) allocated £445m and (2) disbursed £40m to end of financial year 2016/17. DH has (1) allocated £461m and has (2) disbursed £22.3m to end of financial year 2016/17. Details for the current financial year will be available after March 2018.

Ross Fund

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been spent in each year through the Ross Fund since it was set up.

lord bates: The Ross Fund is a portfolio of programmes, identified in the UK Aid Strategy, led by either DFID or Department of Health (DH), aimed at combatting the world's most serious diseases.Since the Ross Fund Portfolio was established, DFID spent £40m in the financial year 2016/17. DH spent £4.5m in 2015/16 and £17.8m in 2016/17. Details for the current financial year will be available after March 2018.

Ross Fund

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government which projects have been funded by the Ross Fund since it was set up.

lord bates: The Ross Fund is a portfolio of programmes, identified in the UK Aid Strategy, led by either DFID or Department of Health (DH), aimed at combatting the world's most serious diseases.DFID projects funded within the Ross Fund Portfolio are in four areas: 1) product development research, with support to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Medicines for Malaria Venture, International AIDS Vaccine initiative, Aeras – TB vaccine development, TB Alliance, Innovative Vector Control Consortium, International Partnership for Microbicides, PATH diarrhoeal diseases vaccines and treatments, PATH meningitis vaccine project and PATH malaria diagnostics; 2) research for epidemic response with support to the World Health Organisation (WHO) R&D Blueprint, joint DFID-Wellcome programme for epidemic response; 3) implementation research, with support to the Febrile Illness Evaluation in a Broad Range of Endemicities, the Coalition for Operational Research for Neglected Tropical Diseases; and 4) implementation programmes, with support to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, Global Guinea Worm Diseases Eradication Programme, Nigeria: Tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases through an integrated approach, Support for the Elimination of Lymphatic FILARIASIS, Capacity building through the WHO Department of Neglected Tropical Diseases.DH projects funded within the Ross Fund Portfolio are the Fleming Fund, Vaccine Network, UK Rapid Support Team and the Global AMR Innovation Fund.

Department for Education

Secondary Education: Finance

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the £4,800 per secondary school pupil to be allocated in 2018–19 under the national funding formula will be spent in the case of home-educated children.

lord agnew of oulton: The department does not provide funding to local councils, schools or academies for electively home-educated children. It remains the case that when parents choose to home educate their children they assume financial responsibility. The department continues to recommend that local councils should take a flexible approach to support for home educating parents where appropriate. Further guidance on funding for home-educated students is available (attached) at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education.



Revised Funding Guidance
(PDF Document, 92.32 KB)

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Beverage Containers

baroness redfern: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps are being taken, including through procurement processes, to reduce the number of plastic cups used in catering outlets in the House of Lords.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.House of Lords Catering and Retail Services (CRS) is taking a pro-active approach to reducing the use of disposable cups within the House’s catering facilities. The River Restaurant and Millbank House Restaurant both provide disposable cups, and in both areas CRS runs an incentive scheme for customers whereby the price of a hot beverage is reduced by 10p (broadly the price of a disposable cup) if a customer brings their own cup. We also provide china cups in the River Restaurant and Millbank House Restaurant and encourage customers to use these when they are dining in, instead of using a disposable cup.Regarding procurement, CRS is not aware of a disposable cup for hot beverages that is fully bio-degradable, and until such a product becomes available CRS will have to continue with its current supply. CRS works closely with its suppliers to ensure it would become aware of any new appropriate products should they emerge.Through the procurement process, CRS objectives include sourcing products that come from renewable sources (such as those supporting sustainable forestry or low carbon processes). The disposable hot beverage cups currently used are made from sustainable and recycled materials and are an insulated, double walled cup. This reduces disposable consumption by negating the need for an additional sleeve or the practice of customers doubling up cups if thinner, single walled cups are provided.CRS has recently received accreditation from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, and looks forward to working alongside the Association to implement innovative solutions for reducing the amount of total disposable products, including cups, that are used across the House of Lords catering venues.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Palm Oil

baroness cavendish of little venice: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to implement the UK Statement Sustainable production of palm oil, published on 30 October 2012, and to reduce the amount of palm oil in food and bathroom products purchased by consumers, in order to prevent further loss of tropical habitats and species from deforestation.

lord gardiner of kimble: The 2012 Commitment on Sustainable Palm Oil has been a success. Nearly all palm oil imported to the UK is now certified sustainable. This Government is building on that success by continuing to support zero-deforestation supply chains for key commodities, including palm oil. The UK is a signatory to the Amsterdam Declarations, has endorsed the New York Declaration on Forests and is a member of the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, all of which support action to prevent deforestation and encourage the production of sustainable palm oil. Through our international climate finance, the Government is supporting a number of programmes focused on sustainable palm oil production. Those programmes are designed to strengthen governance, promote market-based solutions and put in place incentives, policies and actions that support sustainable production alongside forest protection.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Rented Housing: Housing Starts

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many social housing starts on site were made in (1) 2008, (2) 2010, (3) 2012, and (4) 2016.

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many starts on site were made by Housing Associations in (1) 2010, and (2) 2015.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Building more affordable homes is an absolute priority for this Government. On 4 October, the Prime Minister announced an extra £2 billion funding for affordable housing, on top of the £1.4 billion announced last year, increasing the affordable Homes Programme 2016-2021 budget to over £9 billion.The Department does not hold figures for affordable housing starts before 2009/10, as information was previously only collected by completion.The number of affordable housing starts on site in England, funded by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Greater London Authority for the requested years are as follows:2010/11: 48,488 starts.2012/13: 35,337 starts.These figures do not include starts funded solely by local authorities and other sources.For 2016/17 onwards, the total number of affordable starts also includes starts funded solely by local authorities and other sources. Under this criteria, the following figures are available:2016/17: 49,420 starts.Figures for the total number of starts on site made specifically by Housing Associations are available in DCLG live table 1000S. However, this live table only shows data from 2016/17 onwards.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many high-rise buildings in England have flammable insulation similar to that in Grenfell Tower; what plans they have, in conjunction with local authorities, to ensure that such insulation is replaced; and over what length of time.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Metropolitan Police are leading a detailed investigation into the fire at Grenfell Tower and we await the outcome of that. Given the particular concerns around Aluminium Composite Material cladding, our initial priority through the Department's Building Safety Programme has been testing those cladding systems. The large-scale tests of cladding systems with Aluminium Composite Material panels and various types of insulation are now complete and advice on the results was published on 5 September. This advice is available here (attached):https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-update-and-consolidated-advice-for-building-owners-following-large-scale-testingThe Expert Panel is considering whether there may be any heightened risks linked to other issues, such as other cladding systems and broader safety issues.



Advice on the Composite Material panels
(PDF Document, 335.6 KB)

Social Rented Housing

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many social housing units, whether owned by local authorities or by other providers, have been (1) demolished, and (2) sold; and of those, how many have been replaced by new units.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Figures for social housing demolished (Social housing refers to Social Rent, Affordable Rent and Intermediate Affordable Rent).DemolitionsLocal AuthorityPrivate Registered Providers2010/113,5084,5842011/123,8843,9892012/134,0824,6722013/144,3615,0612014/153,0422,7862015/163,6232,923Source: DCLG Local Authority Housing Statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-housing-data, HCA Statistical Data Return https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistical-data-return-statistical-releasesFigures for social housing sold (Social housing refers to Social Rent, Affordable Rent and Intermediate Affordable Rent).Social Housing SalesLocal AuthorityPrivate Registered Providers2010-113,1125,3192011-123,1084,9532012-136,7436,5332013-1411,7408,9042014-1512,4897,9652015-1612,5579,435Source: DCLG Live table 678 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-salesData on direct replacement of social housing sales is only collected as part of the Right to Buy 141 replacement policy and not for other sales or demolitions. The following table on stock shows the annual net change in social rented dwellings which combines the total loses from sales and demolitions with new supply. Since 2010 the overall stock of social housing (social rent, affordable rent and intermediate affordable rent) has increased by 76,000.Dwelling stock: by tenureRented from Private Registered ProvidersRented from Local AuthoritiesTotal20102,180,0001,786,0003,966,00020112,255,0001,726,0003,981,00020122,304,0001,693,0003,997,00020132,331,0001,682,0004,013,00020142,343,0001,669,0004,012,00020152,387,0001,643,0004,030,00020162,430,0001,612,0004,042,000Source: DCLG Live table 104https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants

Housing: Construction

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of new homes built in the UK in the financial year 2016–17; and, of those, how many were(1) the conversion of houses into flats, and (2) the conversion of shops and offices into homes.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Estimates of the number of new homes completed, net conversions between houses and flats, and net change of use between non-domestic and residential are available for England, in 2016-17.Annual housing supply in England amounted to 217,350 net additional dwellings in 2016-17, up 15 per cent on 2015-16.The 217,350 net additions in 2016-17 resulted from 183,570 new build homes, 37,190 gains from change of use between non-domestic and residential, 5,680 from conversions between houses and flats and 720 other gains (caravans, house boats etc.), offset by 9,820 demolitions.18,887 of the net additions from change of use were through ‘permitted development rights’ (full planning permission not required). These comprised 17,751 additional dwellings from former offices, 330 from agricultural buildings, 106 from storage buildings and 700 from other non-domestic buildingsScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not publish a similar series on net supply of housing, although house building estimates are published by the devolved administrations. A time series showing demolitions and conversions in Scotland is also available, please see below the link.http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/ConDem

Garden Communities

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 14 November (HL Deb, col 1928), how many of the proposed new garden cities, towns and villages will be located in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is already, through our garden cities, towns and villages programme, supporting garden towns at Bicester, Didcot and Aylesbury and a garden village close to Eynsham. Decisions are still being made on the location of the five new garden towns which the government committed to supporting at Autumn Budget.

Ministry of Justice

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been prosecuted for the use of hand-held mobile devices while driving in the past 12 months.

baroness vere of norbiton: In 2016, the most recent period for which figures are available, 12,853 defendants were proceeded against at magistrates courts in England and Wales for using or causing others to use a handheld mobile phone whilst driving.

Oakhill Secure Training Centre

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the contract held by G4S to operate Oakhill Secure Training Centre, following the report published by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission on 21 November, which concluded that the overall functioning of Oakhill Secure Training Centre was inadequate.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Ofsted inspection report on Oakhill Secure Training Centre is completely unacceptable and we have taken urgent action to address the concerns raised by Ofsted. A new interim Director, with extensive experience, has been appointed at Oakhill and an experienced HMPPS Governor has been brought in to provide extra scrutiny. We are robustly monitoring performance against the contract and are clear that we will take further steps, if needed, to improve delivery. More widely across the estate, we are investing £64 million to reform youth custody and increase staffing, to improve safety and reduce violence.

Prisons: Unmanned Air Vehicles

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence that drones have been used to smuggle items into HM Prisons; and what counter measures are available.

baroness vere of norbiton: We know that drones are used to smuggle prohibited articles and illicit substances into prison, including mobile phones, Class A drugs and psychoactive substances. They present a significant threat to the safety and security of our prisons as they can carry up to 2kg worth of contraband. We are taking decisive steps to tackle the use of drones as a supply route for organised criminals to bring drugs and mobile phones into prisons. In April 2017, we announced the launch of Operation Trenton, a specialist team of police and Prison Service investigators, to work together to intercept drones and track down the criminals behind them. Additionally, we are carrying out a series of intelligence-led operations to disrupt drones as they enter prison airspace. This tactic has already been used successfully in several establishments. These targeted counter measures are used alongside a range of security measures in place across the estate to stop items coming into prison, including surveillance, detection dogs, body scanners and intelligence-led searches. To date, there have been at least 17 convictions related to drone activity, with those convicted sentenced to a total of more than 50 years in prison. We are also working closely with government partners on the UK’s response to the drone threat and the development of counter drone technology, including the piloting of technical counter measures to block signals. This is keeping the Prison Service at the forefront of the work being progressed nationally and internationally to stop the criminal use of drones.

HM Treasury

Non-domestic Rates

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and to what extent, they intend to compensate local authorities for the loss of £2.3 billionover the next five years resulting from their decision that business rates will increase by CPI rather than RPI.

lord bates: Autumn Budget 2017 announced that the planned switch in the indexation of business rates from RPI to CPI will be brought forward by two years to April 2018. Central government will fully compensate local authorities for income lost as a result of this measure.

Brexit

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the £3 billion announced in the Budget Statementto support preparations for exiting theEU will be allocated to support those preparations; and what the process of allocating those funds will be.

lord bates: HM Treasury will work with departments and the Department for Exiting the European Union over the coming weeks to refine estimates of departmental requirements for 18/19 and will allocate funding accordingly in early 2018. Departmental allocations for 19/20 will be agreed at a later date, when there is more certainty on the status of our future relationship with the European Union. Departmental allocations from the Reserve will be set out at Supplementary Estimates in the relevant year as is usual.

*No heading*

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the resources needed to support preparations for exiting the EU, and ofthe extent to whichthe £3 billion announced in the Budget Statementwill be sufficient to support those preparations.

lord bates: The future funding requirements and the timescale over which they will be needed are dependent on the outcome of our negotiations with the European Union. The £1.5 billion set aside in both 18/19 and 19/20 is to ensure departments have sufficient resources to undertake key preparatory activities over the next two years.

Brexit

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they havemade of the timescale for which financial support will be needed to aid the UK's exit from the EU; and what assessment they have made of the extent to whichthe allocation of the £3 billion announced in the Budget Statement for that purpose for the 2018–19 and 2019–20 financial years will meet this need.

lord bates: The future funding requirements and the timescale over which they will be needed are dependent on the outcome of our negotiations with the European Union. The £1.5 billion set aside in both 18/19 and 19/20 is to ensure departments have sufficient resources to undertake key preparatory activities over the next two years.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

European City of Culture

lord kirkhope of harrogate: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Department for Digital,Culture, Media and Sport advised local authorities of the 2013 EU criteria for applicants to be the European City of Culture 2023.

lord ashton of hyde: The application, rules, guidance and other information for cities wishing to enter the competition to be European Capital of Culture 2023 were published on 16 December 2016 on gov.uk, which I attach.



Application Form 
(Word Document, 80.93 KB)




Rules 
(PDF Document, 128.46 KB)




Guidance 
(PDF Document, 354.44 KB)

Social Media: Children

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the Ofcom report Children and Parents: media use and attitudes, what steps they intend to take to address the issue of underage social media use.

lord ashton of hyde: We expect social media firms to have robust processes in place around the use of their sites by children and to act promptly against any activity that does not comply with their policies.

Department of Health

Midwives: Labour Turnover

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the last five years, what percentage of midwives have left the profession within (1) one, (2) two, and (3) three years of completing their training.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, of those midwives who completed their training in the last five years, what was the average length of time they stayed in the profession.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofwhy midwives are leaving the profession; and whether (1) salary levels, and (2) the culture of the NHS, are relevant factors.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the cost to the NHS over the last five years of midwives leaving the profession; and what is their estimate of such future costs.

lord o'shaughnessy: The information requested is not collected by the Department. To help secure a sustainable National Health Service workforce for the future, NHS Improvement recently launched a new Retention Programme to improve staff retention in trusts across England and bring down the leaver rates in the NHS by 2020. NHS Improvement has developed plans for a raft of measures, tools and support to help trusts understand why employees are leaving their organisation and how to keep them on. This includes launching new Direct Support Programmes to provide intensive targeted support to trusts with above average leaver rates.